


A place for the not quite broken

by Nicoforlife



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family Fluff, Foster Care, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:27:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicoforlife/pseuds/Nicoforlife
Summary: Not what he exspected likely not what he deserved, but hey he's happy and so are they.And that counts for something, right?
Relationships: Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Comments: 28
Kudos: 262





	A place for the not quite broken

**Author's Note:**

> This started with the prompt "trans techno".....
> 
> Yep

It was kind of sad Phil thought that he even had to do this.

He was a father to three: Techno being his oldest, Wilbur, his middle child, and Tommy, his youngest.

He wasn’t biologically related to any of them.

He had picked up Techno when he was only ten; messy hair crudely cut into a bob tears in his eyes.

Techno had been rejected.

It had broken his heart when the kid had been left on his doorstep sniffing.

The kid had apparently been placed in a forever home before he came out.

Phil was notably one of the few lgbtqa+ safe houses in the local system.

So when this doe-eyed little kid had been reassigned to his home as an emergency placement, he already knew what had happened.

“I’m a guy.” This was the first thing Techno ever said to him after Phil had led him in.

“I know,” Phil had told him, “I’m guessing the paperwork is wrong on your name?”

The startled look on the kid’s face broke his heart in two.

“Most things are probably wrong on it actually. We’ll get that changed tomorrow morning ok?”

Techno had started crying again when he heard that.

That night he had led the child to bed, told him that should anything be wanted or need to come and wake him.

He hated how shocked Techno had seemed.

That morning as he had slowly tried to blink the sleep from his eyes downing a cup of coffee, he had watched his new resident carefully poke his head out, when he saw him sitting in the kitchen he had snuck his way forward.

“Do you remember what you said last night?” Was the second thing Techno ever said to him.

“What’s your actual name and gender then kiddo?” was his response.

He had to smile when the kid’s eyes lit up 

“I want my name to be ‘Techno’ and I’m a boy.”

It was said with such certainty, the kid knew what he wanted.

“Cool name for a cool guy huh Techno?” 

He would never get over how his son had puffed up at that, it had been nice to know the kid was still confident even after whatever rejection led him here.

“My caseworker said you would understand. I didn't really believe her, sorry.”

He chuckled at that.

“Don't say sorry for that little guy, and of course I understand you’re a guy. End of story. Now, how about breakfast?”

That first day was likely the only time Phil had heard so much emotion in his eldest tone, the joy and fear mixing with his normal monotone. They had gotten him a proper haircut and dye that day. Techno had been ready to argue that pink wasn’t just a girl’s color but was yet again startled when Phil had agreed.

“My old family thought I’d hate pink if I was a guy.”

“Color has no gender, little guy.”

“Can I get a ponytail cut then? If hair doesn’t have a gender either?”

“I think it would suit you.”

The first days were always the most startling, but also where he learned about the kids he would be fostering and or adopting.

He learned Techno was confident to the point of a complex, that he spoke his mind but didn’t run his mouth, he learned that his supposed forever home had been religious and that Techno was atheist.

He also learned Techno hated gender roles and meeting new people, he learned that his new resident had some level of adhd, that the kid didn’t really have friends and preferred to be by himself.

After that first day, he would learn so much more, like how Techno wanted to play the violin and liked video games. That first day he tried to let Techno get to know him as well; though he wasn’t quite sure how well it had worked.

Techno was 14 and legally Phil’s son when Wilbur arrived.

He was still listed as up to foster after he adopted Techno, simply because he was worried about what might happen if he wasn't. Where would Techno have gone if he wasn’t available?

He never turned down the chance to foster kids that would need it.

Wilbur, unlike Techno, hadn’t been an emergency placement turned permanent. Phil had warned Techno of the new arrival weeks before he even arrived.

Allegedly, Wilbur was a problem child; he was too loud, got into too much trouble, took things from his fosters, and landed himself too often out of favor with the local school.

Phil had a hard time believing that when he saw the 12-year-old himself. 

It was mid-day. Phil and Techno have driven to Wilbur’s old foster house to pick him up. Phil was slightly worried about how his son would react to a new presence in the house.

“I love you Techno.”

His son glanced at him from the passenger seat, eyeing him from the corner of his eye.

“I can’t promise I won’t get jealous or mean dad.”

At least he was honest

“I know I’m just asking that you try, ok? Who knows maybe you'll like having a sibling.”

“I love you too.”

And Techno was back to staring out the window, ending the conversation. Phil sighed, it was really all he could ask from his son.

Wilbur had been sitting on one of the steps outside, idly humming a tune to himself when the two had entered. His caseworker was beside him seemingly chewing him out, his old foster family nowhere to be seen.

“Mr. Charen?” he called, looking at the boy on the steps with slight worry. He was crying softly, swaying as his gentle humming barely drifted over to Phil as he walked over.

“Oh good Wilbur this is your new foster family, say hello.”

Wilbur still didn’t look up, softly swaying to himself as he hummed. Phil didn’t recognize the tune but it was quite appealing.

“Wilbur don’t be rude”

Phil glanced at the caseworker before speaking up,

“It’s ok, I don’t mind.” 

He kneeled down before the preteen and listened to him hum. His voice was really quite pretty even if it was scratchy from crying. Phil waited, simply listening for a few minutes before he spoke.

“That’s a very pretty song, did you make it up?”

By the time he spoke Wilbur’s tears had dried and his swaying was weak, the child glanced at him before glancing away.

“Yeah,” he mumbled. Phil smiled at the response, not trying to make the kid look him in the eyes.

“Do you like music?”

“Yeah.” 

“Do you like to sing too?”

“Yeah.” 

Wilbur was shifting now, fiddling with the sleeves of the sweater he was wearing.

“Do you want to head home or stay here for a little bit longer?”

Wilbur had calmed down enough to look him in the eyes and looked him over.

“Stay here a little bit longer?” he asked in a mumble, glancing away again and tensing. 

Phil hummed softly, “That’s ok, mind if I sit then?”

When Wilbur shook his head he dropped from his crouch landing with a slight ‘oof’ on the ground, glancing over at the caseworker who was watching a little ways away.

“I got him, Don’t worry, all the paperwork is signed right?”

“Alright then, Wilbur be good.”

The last part was said as if it was a threat and caused Phil to frown as he watched them leave.

Techno, who was perched on the hood of the car, had an unpleasant expression on his face as he watched them before turning his attention back to his phone.

“Well, they were quite rude,” Phil mumbled, glancing at Wilbur who had started to sway again after the worker spoke. Wilbur didn’t respond.

So Phil waited, glancing around idly taking in the home. It was definitely one of those ‘only kids we can fix’ houses and not a ‘here for the cash’ houses. It was semi-nice but the political sign he saw when he drove up the driveway proved that they likely didn’t think mental illnesses were even real and all a kid like Wilbur needed was a good punishment or five.

He didn’t like them already, it was like a mental hellscape for kids like Wilbur.

At least, if Phil was right about what he had seen about Wilbur so far.

After ten more minutes, Wilbur clumsily stood up with a mumbled ‘I’m ready to go’ as he picked up the trash bag with his stuff in it.

Phil smiled, leading him to the car and playfully teasing his eldest for sitting on the hood before herding them both into the vehicle.

“Any requests from the crowd for the radio station?” he had asked, glancing at the teen beside him then the preteen in the back. He couldn’t help but grin when Wilbur mumbled out a few numbers tuning the radio with a ‘good choice’ 

Wilbur’s first day was awfully quiet for a ‘loud kid’.

He spent most of it tucked away in his room and only coming out for dinner.

It took two weeks for the new resident to crack.

Techno was fiddling with the TV and his laptop, trying to connect the two so he could play Minecraft on the big screen. Phil didn’t know why but at least it was amusing to watch Techno getting progressively more confused by the TVs set up. The setup Phil hadn’t touched since he had moved into the current house. Wilbur had crept out of his room eyeing the two, Techno unaware of the other’s presence as Phil took note of the new addition to the room.

He stood there for a while, watching them as if making sure they hadn’t seen him before carefully reaching over to the shelf next to the doorway and pocketing one of the nicknacks, and creeping back into his room.

Phil frowned into his drink at that, he wasn’t upset. He didn’t keep anything of real value out in the open but in his room at the top of the closet. But he was concerned that the report wasn’t completely wrong; now it was a matter of figuring out why Wilbur had taken the little bauble Phil hadn't so much as looked at in months.

It probably wasn’t attention. If that was the case he would have grabbed one of Phil’s mugs or his hat, something Phil would notice is missing. Was it getting away with it? Are the things themselves being appealing? He sighed, putting his now empty mug into the sink.

“I’m going to check on Wilbur, ok Techno?”

He got a grunt in response from his son, giving him the ok to head down the hall to the bedrooms.

Wilbur’s door was closed, the other side dead silent as Phil rolled his words over in his head. The last thing he wanted was to scare the kid.

He knocked, waiting as he heard a desperate scramble on the other side. The door opened with Wilbur peeking through the crack at Phil.

“Hey, kiddo.”

He tried to keep his voice soft, letting Wilbur know he wasn't in trouble.

He got a hum in response, Wilbur’s eyes were slightly wide and scared.

“Can I ask you something?”

He got another, weaker hum.

“Why’d you take that?”

The door closed, causing him to sigh 

“You’re not in trouble kiddo,” he called keeping his tone free of anything that might set the boy off. He didn’t know Wilbur, so he had to deal with this with only his default knowledge of kids, and getting angry never led anywhere good.

There was a noise behind the door Phil waiting in front of. The door cracked open, the stolen object being pushed out before the door closed again.

That wasn’t what Phil had expected at all; he picked up the nicknack frowning slightly as he quietly put it back before returning in front of the door, knocking again.

“Wilbur? Kiddo, I’m not mad.”

Wilbur likely didn’t believe it but now Phil was just confused why take it if you’re just going to give it back? He wasn’t going to force Wilbur to open the door, he had no clue what Wilbur had gone through or if he had trauma or not so it was better to give the kid a safe space.

“You didn’t have to give it back kiddo I don’t mind you stashing my stuff away, just don’t hide Techno’s ok? He gets grumpy if he can’t find things.” He waited, listening for a response from the other side before he hummed.

“I’m always open to talk, ok? Even if it’s midnight I don’t mind.” It was a sentiment he shared the first day with every kid he fostered. Techno hadn’t believed it until his adoption but it was still good to have the kids know it even if they didn’t believe it.

He didn’t get a response so he turned and walked back out into the living room where Techno had finally gotten his computer connected and was now trying to play the game using their tv remote.

When dinner came, Phil watched the door, frowning when Wilbur didn't come out at the scent of food like he normally did.

“Be right back, ok Techno?”

Techno hummed, not looking up from his food as Phil once more stepped down the hallway. Carefully knocking, listening for the sound of movement, slightly relieved when he heard shifting.

“You going to come out and eat kiddo? Or do you want me to bring it to you?”

He listened, slightly startled when the door opened slightly and Wilbur peeked out at him.

“You promise I’m not in trouble?”

Phil smiled slightly,

“Swear on my life, kiddo.”

Wilbur eyed him before glancing back into his room.

“It’s called squirreling.”

Phil blinked at that tilting his head as he thought he called stashing squirreling huh?

“Your hiding of things?”

He asked just to confirm humming when Wilbur nodded.

“Can you tell me why you squirrel then?”

Wilbur shifted, eyeing Phil as he murmured,

“Will you get mad if I tell you?”

“No,” he responded gently. Wilbur shifted more as he fiddled with the doorknob.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, flinching back like he was expecting something. Phil frowned slightly as he hummed.

“That’s ok,” he reassured, “You don’t have to understand everything you do. I know I don’t get some of my habits.”

It just made it more difficult to shift them to something that won’t get you in trouble.

Wilbur carefully untensed, relaxing but still firmly hidden behind the door.

“Does it have to be real objects or can they be virtual?” Phil asked 

Wilbur shrugged causing Phil to hum.

“Does squirreling away Techno’s gear in his world sound like it would be the same as doing it in real life?”

Wilbur blinked up at him and looking startled he thought before answering,

“Maybe? I dono never really played that before.”

Phil smiled, “How about we try that after you get fed, ok kiddo?”

Turns out the virtual alternative to Wilbur’s little squirreling problem was at least semi-effective as there were still times Phil would find some of the random junk in the house missing.

Wilbur was a legal part of the house a year later, it was the same day Phil got him a guitar.

Techno and Phil were his first audience.

After that, it seemed like their little family was complete. Wilbur came out of his shell after his adoption even more so than before and proved to be quite charismatic and friendly - a sharp contrast to his monotone and introverted brother. Then there was Phil, their loving, supportive father.

It took 3 years before that changed.

Techno was 18, doing his schooling online; Wilbur was 16 with a solid friend group at his own high school.

It was the middle of the night when Phil got the call.

It was an emergency placement, the 10 year old having apparently picked too many fights with his family that they felt unsafe to have the kid in their home.

His name was Tommy.

Unlike Techno, he wasn’t an orphan. Unlike Wilbur, he hadn’t been forcefully taken from his parents.

He had allegedly been abandoned.

Phil’s heart ached even as the worker went on and on about how the kid was a screaming devil that only wanted to get people hurt.

He woke up his boys after the worker had hung up, filling them in on the situation and warning them that though they were an emergency placement like Techno had been. The kid was probably going to stay.

He had paced in the living room while waiting on baited breath for the doorbell to ring as the minutes ticked by. His boys were curled up on the couch and playing on Techno’s laptop; Wilbur controlled the mouse and Techno the keys.

It was a sight that under any other circumstances would have put a smile on Phil’s face, his boys getting along so well, but right now he was worried.

He was always worried about getting new kids; he had panicked when he had been called to take Techno in and had fretted for days on end when Wilbur had been transferred, but this felt different.

He had heard horror stories of stuff like this happening to kids and them feeling abandoned like old toys. The last thing he wanted was for his boys to feel replaced - heaven knows Wilbur at least had some of that mentality still floating around his skull.

Then the bell rang.

Phil was up in a second, opening the door to hear the last words of whatever the worker was saying to his newest kid.

“You hear me, Tommy, so don’t screw this one up! Oh, Mr. Wattson thank you so much-”

Phil cut her off when he saw the bruise on Tommy’s face, “Techno get the kit! Come on in kiddo, let’s get you patched up and in bed, you look exhausted.” He carefully guided Tommy in without touching and he shut the door on the worker’s face.

“Wilbur, go get some towels and a heated blanket please?” 

Techno drifted back in with the kit while Wilbur was meandering off to get what Phil had requested. Tommy was looking, well... more like glaring, at his surroundings. Phil noted the expression, tucking it away in his mind as he sat the child down. Wilbur handed over the towels to his new foster brother.

Tommy started to dry out his hair as Phil sorted through the first aid kit, thanking his two eldest before turning back to Tommy.

“Well, she sounded unpleasant didn’t she?”

Tommy glanced at him from under the towel,

“She’s a bitch.” 

Techno and Wilbur both snorted behind their father who couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Sounds about right. Do you want me to patch you up, or would you rather do it yourself?”

Tommy snorted at that, "I'll do it. I’d hate for you to get attached when I’ll be gone within a week."

Phil frowned at that while his boys laughed.

“Ok, you two head to bed. Everything’s funny for you right now huh?” Phil teased, giving Tommy the supplies as Wilbur snorted.

“See you in the morning, gremlin,” Wilbur teased, Techno already slipping into his room.

Phil sighed and turned back to his newest foster who was doing a fairly good job of patching up his own face without a mirror.

“How’d you get it?” he asked softly, taking a seat on the floor in front of the couch.

“Some dick tried to pick on Tubbo. I showed him why he shouldn’t before he got his house burnt down or found a wasps nest in his locker.”

Phil blinked at that surprised by the honesty.

“You and Tubbo get along well then?”

“We’re best friends. My caseworker said we had an ‘unhealthy dependency’ on each other. I don’t know what that means but most of what she says is bullshit so,” Tommy shrugged now just fiddling with his shirt.

Phil hummed frowning slightly, “What school did you go to?”

“Aderson middle school, are you done yet?”

Phil nodded and stood up, “Let’s get you to bed. My name’s Phil but you can call me whatever you want.”

“I’m calling you ‘Big P’.” 

Phil frowned, but hummed his agreement; showing Tommy to the once guest room and giving him the ‘you can talk to me’ speech. 

“I know I can’t so stop lying but ok.”

Phil felt whiplash from the honesty in Tommy’s voice as he went to his own bed.

The next morning Phil woke up to Wilbur singing. It wasn’t all that uncommon, his now middle child hated the early morning silence before the rest of the family was up and moving and it was much more pleasant to wake up to then his alarm screaming in his face. It was a good move in Phil’s option to wake up their newest member with something much calmer than being shaken awake.

It was only a few minutes before Phil was out in the kitchen making his morning coffee. Techno was splayed over the couch scribbling away at a piece of paper. Whether it was homework, youtube algorithms, or something to do with Minecraft, Phil would never know. Wilbur strolled out of his room after he finished his third song, taking up an armchair before reviewing his music and scribbling his own adjustments. Tommy came out last, strolling into the kitchen like he owned the place and asking when breakfast was.

It was such an odd echo of Techno’s first days mixed with Wilburs noise - Phil nearly laughed.

“How does eggs and pancakes sound children?” he asked.

Wilbur piping up with a silly grin on his face, “Bacon too?”

“Nooooo not my brethren,” the stupid line sounded so off in Techno’s monotone. It still gave Phil a chuckle even if this was the thousandth time he had heard it.

“Pancakes sound good, make them chocolate chip,” demanded Tommy.

Phil raised an eyebrow, “No please?” Tommy huffed but mumbled the word causing Phil to take out the jar of chocolate chips he kept high and out of the reach of small children.

The rest of the day was fairly easy, Tommy was a bit bratty but seemed to behave a little better after Phil told him he would be staying in the same school after his suspension lifted. He got along fairly well with both of his new brothers, despite the endless teasing they tossed around. All seemed well that first week.

When Tommy went to school again, Phil made a habit to pick him up from it as much as he could. If he couldn’t, he made sure Techno or Wilbur were there instead. It wasn’t so much as he was worried about Tommy causing trouble as it was other kids trying to get Tommy in trouble.

It was a habit he had picked up when Techno had started ‘starting’ fights. He had known damn well his son was only finishing them. It was only after several video records though did the school finally cave and start punishing the actual bullies.

This of course leads to the moment of Phil realizing Tommy was just a chaotic little gremlin child, he had been waiting like always outside watching for his kid to come rushing out the doors and barreling into the front seat when he instead walked out talking animatedly to a short brunette beside him carrying what looked to be a glass box with a beehive inside of it.

“Oh no! Bee box in the back, you’ll break it upfront.”

**Author's Note:**

> Pls comment


End file.
